I write my blog in Microsoft Word. I save each entry with the week of the year we’ve reached. My last Blog – Shine a Light – was Week 30. This Blog – What Happened? – is Week 39. So let me say that again, What Happened?

Nine weeks disappeared just like that. Did I have more pressing items to deal with? No, I simply had less time to do the normal amount of stuff I usually do. Unbeknown to me – well for three weeks anyway – I was suffering from Glandular Fever. Glandular Fever has the inane ability to make you think you are wading through treacle. Everything becomes a monumental effort, the most simple task an uphill slog. You can’t complete your normal workload simply because you don’t have the energy and patience. And so, this blog became one of the first casualties … especially because computer work didn’t half make my eyes tired.

I was amazed when the doctor told me it often takes three months for the symptoms to disappear, but I’m glad to say that the treacle filled world I occupied for a month has now moved to a more melting jelly-like world and I hope I’m almost back to 100%.

I often think that the disciples lived in a treacle filled world, their actions taking on a slow-motion like loop of intense highs and unbelievable lows. Right at the end of the last chapter Jesus used the big ‘Whoever’ word: “Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me.”

And yet within minutes… within hours… within days… a short time later they put their best nightclub bouncer act on and said to the children, “If your names not on the list you’re not getting in.” Jesus went ballistic, had they forgotten the ‘Whoever’ word? How long would this Glandular, treacle filled world last for them?

I like the brevity of the words Eugene Petersen uses in The Message:

Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.

It’s not rocket science this Kingdom life. Accepting the Kingdom is about accepting others, without prejudice, without fear, without favour. Kingdom life is about sharing the love of God that is so freely poured out upon us. Loving, sharing, caring, serving.

Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

Quite amazingly, despite the difficulties of the past two months, I’ve felt very, very blessed by the presence of God. Kingdom life is about living so others feel that breath of blessing on their lives too.

Ok. Got to go else I’ll never get through all these other jobs. Pulling my wellies on though, there might be some more treacle to wade through.